Issue 5 | November 2006

Challenged to revitalise the Sheffield International Documentary Festival, to head off its new competitor BritDocs, and transform its relative anonymity in the international community, Heather Croall – its new director, documentarist and former festival director from Australia – went for broke: in 6 months to make it the event for everyone engaged with the UK documentary scene. The revamped DocDay Afternoon brought 200 A-level students in to discuss ideas for 4 minute docs with mentors from the industry including celebrated Canadian Peter Wintonick; Nick and Marc Francis, of recent Black Gold repute; reps from My Space and a handful of Commissioning Editors.

Based on a true story, Requiem charts the story of Anneliese Michel, an intelligent and sensitive young woman from Germany who suffered in the early 1970s from depression and an epileptic convulsant disorder.